Fiscal 'cliff'? Democrats say 'slope'

If some Democrats had their way, the country wouldn’t be facing the “fiscal cliff” — but a “fiscal slope,” “fiscal curve” or even an “austerity crisis.”

Debating Republicans about how to solve the fiscal cliff is a fight on the wrong turf, they argue, since it doesn’t explain the origins of the problem or what will actually happen — George W. Bush-era tax breaks expire and across-the-board spending cuts go into effect.

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It’s an old adage in Washington: Words matter in a fight, so pick the best ones you can.

In this case, the fiscal cliff has become embedded in the lexicon after almost a year of presidential campaigning and an obsessive media that’s counting down the days — 36! as of Monday — until the country makes the proverbial plunge.

“The impression has already been created,” said Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.). “And if it’s unfavorable, we’ve got it now, and I think we’re saddled with it.”

Here’s the thinking from the left for why what’s coming up at the beginning of next year isn’t really a cliff: President Barack Obama’s fiscal problems were created by his predecessor, from the tattered economy to expensive tax cuts and more than $1 trillion spent on two wars. If there’s no deal in the next six weeks, Obama still has authority to stall in implementing the big tax and spending changes. And despite some big dips already on Wall Street, some Democrats say the markets can easily recover if the stare down between the White House and House Republicans gets resolved early next year.

“This is not like the debt ceiling debate where in fact, if you don’t pay your bills on a certain date, there are very dramatic repercussions,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) told POLITICO. “The truth of the matter is we could go into the next year, and if we can reach an agreement in the new Congress, in the first weeks or months or two, I don’t think a whole lot of people will know the difference. So it’s not like something cataclysmic happens on Dec. 31.”

Reporters covering the fiscal cliff debate often hear from sources on the left pleading for them to stop calling it a “cliff.” Use something gentler that really reflects the situation, they say, like “slope” or “curve.” In The Washington Post earlier this month, liberal columnist Ezra Klein lamented the term and floated “austerity crisis” as an alternate because it’s a more “precise description of what we’re facing: A crisis of too much austerity too quickly.”

“This is a media creation. It totally misrepresents what happens if no deal is reached,” said Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research. He noted that the Congressional Budget Office projected earlier this month that the economy would slip back into recession without an agreement at any point in 2013, not just by the start of the new year. “This is incredibly irresponsible.”

Lawmakers say they are also being reminded to watch what they say.

“Everybody’s told me I should not be using that term,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). “It’s been people on my staff and others who just feel like it’s confusing. It’s not an ideological thing. It’s more how can we help people understand the challenge we’re facing.”

So once again, the Democrats are playing semantics with the Apocalyptic term they coined in order to Scare the Public silly - but now they are trying to play down the severity of the problem, by renaming the term the much gentler “Fiscal Slope”.

It sounds to me that Democrats are adopting the talking points of Senator Patty Murray (WA) and flirting with a "leap of faith" into the Fiscal Abyss - only to then blame their foolhardiness on the Republican Congress, once the US Credit Rating "Hits the Fan".

The GOP are willing to put "revenues/tax increases" on the table - but the Democrats are talking about "rolling the dice" right off The Fiscal Cliff - only from the minds of rabid Progressives would America ever consider such a foolish move in the name of Political Drama!

Careful!... there Senator Reid!... you just might get what you're asking for...

So once again, the Democrats are playing semantics with the Apocalyptic term they coined in order to Scare the Public silly - but now they are trying to play down the severity of the problem, by renaming the term the much gentler “Fiscal Slope”.

It sounds to me that Democrats are adopting the talking points of Senator Patty Murray (WA) and flirting with a "leap of faith" into the Fiscal Abyss - only to then blame their foolhardiness on the Republican Congress, once the US Credit Rating "Hits the Fan".

The GOP are willing to put "revenues/tax increases" on the table - but the Democrats are talking about "rolling the dice" right off The Fiscal Cliff - only from the minds of rabid Progressives would America ever consider such a foolish move in the name of Political Drama!

Careful!... there Senator Reid!... you just might get what you're asking for...

Two weeks ago the President asked the House to send him a bill that would keep the tax cuts for people/families making under $250K

So far.............nothing

If the GOP wants to hold the middle class hostage.............it's their funeral

All American families realize when bills are higher then the monthly income cuts have to be made and a part time job or sales of property might be needed ! Cant increase income and keep spending like a raped ape..weve tried that and it didnt work!

Democrats will never be satisfied . . . they will always change the goal posts. As soon as they get one concession from the Republicans, they DEMAND more. There is no ethics or moral values in any of the current Demoncrats in the Senate or Congress. We are doomed as a nation to corrupt officials who could manage their way out of a wet paper bag. STANDUP AMERICA AND DEMAND CHANGE THAT IS GOOD FOR AMERICAN CITIZENS.

I think there is a strong likelihood that the radical progressives in the Dem caucus will indeed cause us to roll down this slope. But as it happens, they are likely to discover that there is LESS leverage than they had before if they would just have cut a deal.

About the fiscal cliff, Obama said, "It snot going to happen!" But it looks like it is. And the Dems are on the record saying "Let's do it because it gives us more political leverage. Forget what it might do the the markets, credit ratings, and people's disposable income. We can undo that later. Go for the power!"

So we will watch and wait. There is a compromise the Republicans have put on the table, and the Dems appear determined to wait it out in an attempt to put partisanship ahead of duty.

It is a dangerous place. And it is a steep slope. And once the ball starts rolling down it, it gets harder and harder to stop it. Momentum builds.

The Dems are now on record saying they want to descend the slope at breakneck speed for purposes of political partisanship and political power. And they can get their wish about going over the cliff/slope. But that doesn't mean the public will stick with them despite what polls say. The polls on healthcare favored the Dems until they decided to use political muscle to get their way despite refusing to compromise.

I trust that Dems will overplay their hand on this one as well. The GOP has struck the right tone, and the public now expects a compromise. If the Dems reject compromise and demand capitulation, they the voters will not react well.

"I think there is a strong likelihood that the radical progressives in the Dem caucus will indeed cause us to roll down this slope. But as it happens, they are likely to discover that there is LESS leverage than they had before if they would just have cut a deal."

President Obama seems to understand that he has maximum leverage before we go over the "cliff", which is why he's trying to ratchet up the crisis atmosphere to try to force the Republicans to raise taxes now. I don't think it's going to work, especially with the Democrats in Congress undermining his message.

Ah, the word games of the liberals. Now they want to soften the edge of the abyss. They want a kinder, gentler, fiscal "slope" - a slippery "slope" that still leads to economic hardship for most. Then there is "fairness" - except when tax cuts are extended to only some, not all.

Not surprising though - they have to disguise the fact that Mr. Obama did manage to turn a fiscal "ditch" into the fiscal cliff - hey, maybe Mr. Obama does have superpowers after all! (;-})

"The continuing EUROPEANIZATION of America..." Do you know what is really cool? As a US citizen in Europe I get to live in a socialist hellhole AND I get to vote to impose socialist hellhole conditions on you poor, right-thinking authentic Americans who could live in a decent place run by decent people for decent people, but who can't, because people like me won't let them. All they want to do is work hard and celebrate in the privileges of their Americanness, but no, people like me get to RUIN EVERYTHING for them! I am SOOOO EVIL, Bwahahahahah..... (This evil genius gig is great -- much fun tormenting the squares here.)